Congo, Republic of

Geography

The Congo is situated in west-central Africa
astride the equator. It borders Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African
Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Angola exclave of
Cabinda, with a short stretch of coast on the South Atlantic. Its area is
nearly three times that of Pennsylvania. Most of the inland is tropical
rain forest, drained by tributaries of the Congo River.

Government

Dictatorship.

History

In precolonial times, the region now called the
Republic of Congo was dominated by three kingdoms: Kongo (originating
about 1000), the Loango (flourishing in the 17th century), and Tio. After
the Portuguese located the Congo River in 1482, commerce was carried on
with the tribes, especially the slave trade.

The Frenchman Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza signed
a treaty with Makoko, ruler of the Bateke people, in 1880, thus
establishing French control. It was first called French Congo, and after
1905 Middle Congo. With Gabon and Ubangi-Shari, it became the colony of
French Equatorial Africa in 1910. Abuse of laborers led to public outcry
against the French colonialists as well as rebellions among the Congolese,
but the exploitation of the native workers continued until 1930. During
World War II, the colony joined Chad in supporting the Free French cause
against the Vichy government. The Congo proclaimed its independence
without leaving the French Community in 1960, calling itself the Republic
of Congo.

The Congo's second president, Alphonse
Massemba-Débat, instituted a Marxist-Leninist government. In 1968,
Maj. Marien Ngouabi overthrew him but kept the Congo on a Socialist
course. He was sworn in for a second five-year term in 1975. A four-man
commando squad assassinated Ngouabi on March 18, 1977. Col. Joachim
Yhombi-Opango, army chief of staff, assumed the presidency on April 4.
Yhombi-Opango resigned on Feb. 4, 1979, and was replaced by Col. Denis
Sassou-Nguesso.